Partition control method based on polymerized disperse dye liquid crystal dimming film

Abstract

The invention relates to a partition control method based on a polymerized disperse dye liquid crystal dimming film, and belongs to the technical field of dimming films. The method comprises the steps that voltage control is conducted on conducting layers of the dimming device through a voltage adjusting device, the conducting layers are composed of a first conducting layer and a second conducting layer, each conducting layer comprises a plurality of independent control areas, and the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer are each provided with an electrode unit and are electrically connected with electrodes of the voltage adjusting device. The voltage adjusting device is based on phase angle control of an alternating current power supply, and the effective value of the input voltage is changed by adjusting the trigger conduction angle of the electrode unit in the independent control area, so that fine regulation and control of the light transmittance and haze of the dimming film are realized. The method solves the problems of step abrupt change and power grid sensitivity of traditional dimming film partition control, realizes accurate partition control, improves the consistency of the dimming effect, and reduces the complexity and cost of the system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of dimming films, and particularly relates to a zoning control method for a polymer dispersed dye liquid crystal dimming film. Background Art

[0002] Currently, dimming glass mostly adopts several technologies such as polymer dispersed dimming, electrochromism, and dye liquid crystals. Among them, polymer dispersed dimming can provide privacy protection but cannot provide color change. Electrochromism can change the light transmittance of dimming glass but cannot provide privacy protection, and the change speed cannot meet the requirements of users. The dye liquid crystal dimming film cannot provide privacy performance, is difficult to encapsulate, and is prone to leakage.

[0003] In the invention application CN117264637A previously proposed by the applicant, a method of adding a specific type and dosage of dichroic dye to the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer is adopted to make the PDLC have the effect of stable color change.

[0004] In view of a zoned dimming vehicle window in the invention application CN115128858A, based on the control instructions of a touch screen, zoned dimming of different areas of the vehicle window is realized. However, this application is based on multiple controllers connecting multiple dimming films, with a complex structure and high cost. Moreover, during zoned dimming, due to the communication delay between the controllers, the dimming effect may be inconsistent. Therefore, precise control of each independent zone of the dimming film needs to be achieved with a simplified structure and optimized driving method, while reducing costs and improving the consistency of the dimming effect.

[0005] Although the current dimming film technology meets the needs of consumers for privacy protection and light adjustment to a certain extent, there are still some limitations. For example, the existing dimming films mainly achieve the light-shielding effect by controlling the light transmittance, but this single light transmittance adjustment method cannot meet the higher requirements of consumers for personalized needs. Specifically, consumers may hope that under the condition that the dimming film has light-shielding properties, a privacy pattern can be formed through color differences in different areas, or they may hope that different areas of the dimming film have different light transmittance properties to better meet the different light requirements of passengers and drivers. The current dimming film technology usually adopts an amplitude modulation method, that is, multiple controllers are used to separately adjust the light transmittance of different areas. However, this method requires multiple controllers, increasing the complexity and cost of the system, and it may be difficult to achieve precise area control in practical applications.

[0006] Based on the patent documents JP2018185366A, JP2018054868A, JP2014089361A, and JP6965552B2, the input voltage of the dimming device is adjusted by amplitude and phase; however, in practical applications, amplitude adjustment may cause step mutation problems, while phase adjustment is more sensitive to power grid fluctuations. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve the above problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a partitioned aggregation disperse dye liquid crystal dimming film and device, and a driving display method;

[0008] The object of the present invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0009] A partition control method based on a polymer dispersed dye liquid crystal dimming film, comprising:

[0010] The voltage of the conductive layer of the dimming device is controlled by a voltage regulating device, wherein the conductive layer is composed of a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer includes a plurality of independent control regions, each independent control region is configured with an electrode unit and is electrically connected to the electrode of the voltage regulating device; the second conductive layer is a single control region and is electrically connected to the electrode of the voltage regulating device through a common electrode part;

[0011] The voltage regulating device adjusts the PWM duty cycle and trigger conduction angle of the electrode unit of the independent control region through a PWM dimming mode and a phase angle control mode;

[0012] In the PWM dimming mode, the voltage regulating device generates a PWM signal through a timer built into the microcontroller; by adjusting the duty cycle to control the ratio of the conduction time, the independent control regions of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are driven to match the target light transmittance, and color consistency is maintained at low brightness;

[0013] In the phase angle control mode, the voltage regulating device converts the input direct current into alternating current and generates a synchronization signal as the reference timing for phase control; according to the preset partition dimming requirements, the microcontroller assigns independent trigger delay angles to the independent control regions; the trigger angles of adjacent regions of the independent control regions form a smooth voltage gradient through differential configuration in adjacent independent control regions, realizing stepless brightness transition;

[0014] The contrast ratio of the independent control region of the conductive layer is greater than 1.3, and the ratio of the light transmittance of any two different independent control regions to visible light is constrained to be between 1 and 20, and the haze ratio is between 1 and 200.

[0015] Specifically, the electrode unit of the independent control area is connected in series with a bidirectional thyristor, the conduction interval is controlled by a trigger pulse, the phase information of the AC waveform is intercepted, and the root mean square value of the output voltage is adjusted according to the phase information.

[0016] Specifically, the partition dimming requirement is a preset transmittance and haze target value, and the microcontroller calculates the required trigger delay angle according to a preset algorithm so that the actual transmittance and haze of the dimming film are consistent with the preset target value; the calculation process is:

[0017] The transmittance and haze of the dimming film at different trigger delay angles are experimentally measured to establish a mapping relationship; the mapping relationship is based on the transmittance-voltage response curve and the haze-voltage response curve; a polynomial function is used to fit the transmittance-voltage response curve and the haze-voltage response curve to obtain a response curve equation, and the trigger delay angle is reversely solved by combining the response curve equation with the preset transmittance target value and haze target value.

[0018] Specifically, the trigger angles of adjacent regions of the independent control region are configured in a differentiated manner to form a smooth voltage gradient in the adjacent independent control regions.

[0019] Specifically, the differentiated configuration method is:

[0020] S401: Generate a trigger angle transition curve in the target area and the adjacent area of ​​the independent control area through an interpolation algorithm, and the calculation formula is:

[0021] α(x)=a(xx i ) 3 +b(xx i ) 2 +c(xx i )+d(x i ≤x≤x i+1 ),

[0022] Among them, x is the location parameter of the target area, a, b, c, d are the boundary condition coefficients determined by the trigger angle of the adjacent area, α(x) is the trigger angle of the target area, and x i 、x i+1 is the position parameter of the adjacent area;

[0023] S402: Calculating electric field distribution through finite element simulation according to the trigger angle transition curve to optimize the trigger angle distribution;

[0024] Build a model containing a liquid crystal cell in a finite element simulation software (CST Studio), set up the layer structures, material parameters (dielectric constant of the liquid crystal), and boundary conditions, etc.; import the pre-determined trigger angle transition curve data into the simulation model as the basis for subsequent simulation calculations; run the simulation to calculate the electric field distribution within the liquid crystal cell at different trigger angles, and analyze the changes in parameters such as electric field strength and direction in space; based on the calculated electric field distribution, evaluate its impact on the performance of the reflective array antenna (such as reflection coefficient, phase change, gain, etc.), and identify possible problems such as uneven electric field and excessive loss;

[0025] Based on the evaluation results of the electric field distribution, optimize and adjust the trigger angle; for regions with weak electric fields, appropriately increase the trigger angle to enhance the electric field strength; for regions where the electric field is too strong and may cause excessive tilting of liquid crystal molecules, reduce the trigger angle, thereby improving the overall electric field distribution and enhancing performance and efficiency.

[0026] S403: The microcontroller dynamically calibrates the trigger angles of adjacent regions to compensate for the liquid crystal response lag.

[0027] The microcontroller obtains the actual response data (phase change, reflection coefficient, etc. of each region) during operation in real time through a feedback circuit; compares the actually monitored response data with a pre-set ideal response model, extracts the deviation caused by the liquid crystal response lag, and determines the adjacent regions where the trigger angles need to be calibrated. According to the deviation situation, formulate corresponding calibration strategies (advance the trigger angle for regions with large lags; delay the trigger angle for regions with fast responses) to achieve coordination between adjacent regions. The microcontroller dynamically sends the adjusted trigger angle signals to each adjacent region according to the calibration strategy to control the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules and compensate for the liquid crystal response lag.

[0028] Specifically, the voltage regulating device dynamically calibrates the phase control timing according to different power grid frequencies, specifically including:

[0029] S501: Sample the input alternating current through a voltage-frequency conversion chip, output a square wave signal to a phase-locked loop circuit to generate a reference clock signal synchronized with the power grid frequency;

[0030] S502: For a 50Hz power grid (cycle 20ms) and a 60Hz power grid (cycle 16.67ms), pre-store two sets of trigger angle-time mapping tables in the microcontroller, and dynamically switch the timing control parameters through the look-up table method;

[0031] S503: Perform clock synchronization calibration every 10 power grid cycles, compare the built-in real-time clock with the power grid zero-crossing signal, calculate the clock drift and correct the initial value of the timing counter:

[0032]

[0033] Among them, T counter is the count of the timing counter, and T grid is the power grid period, and T RTC is the timing period of the real-time clock;

[0034] S504: When a sudden change in the power grid frequency is detected, automatically switch to the frequency tracking mode, and the microcontroller scales the trigger angle proportionally:

[0035]

[0036] Among them, α new is the trigger angle after the change of the power grid frequency, and α set is the preset power grid frequency, f nominal is the nominal power grid frequency, f actual is the actual power grid frequency,

[0037] Specifically, the independent control area adopts a random dispersion triggering technique, so that the trigger angles of each area are dynamically and randomly offset within a set range, dispersing the harmonic spectrum energy.

[0038] The polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal dimming film includes a transparent substrate, a conductive layer, and a polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal layer. The conductive layer and the polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal layer are sandwiched between the transparent substrates; the conductive layer is divided into several independent control areas.

[0039] The polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer includes dichroic dyes; the contrast of the independent partitions is greater than 1.3, and the ratio of the light transmittance of two different independent partitions to visible light is between 1 and 20, and the haze ratio is between 1 and 200.

[0040] Specifically, the conductive layer is composed of a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer; the first conductive layer is partitioned, and a plurality of independent control areas are formed by laser etching. Each independent control area is connected to a voltage regulating device through an independent electrode part, and the voltage regulating device can independently apply a working voltage to each partition; the second conductive layer includes two types: a single-zone control mode and a multi-zone control mode; if the second conductive layer is in the single-zone control mode, no partitioning treatment is performed, and a common electrode part is provided, and an electrical connection is established between the common electrode part and the voltage regulating device; if the second conductive layer is in the multi-zone control mode, the second conductive layer has the same etching lines as the first conductive layer and divides the same independent control areas, and each independent control area is provided with an independent electrode part.

[0041] Specifically, the polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal layer makes the dimming film have different contrasts by controlling the addition amount of dichroic anthraquinone dyes and the voltage of the independent control area.

[0042] Specifically, the transparent substrate uses a polyester film material with pigments, and is characterized in that: organic or inorganic dyes / pigments are dispersed in the film material; a colored coating is provided on the surface of the film material, and the colored coating is formed by curing after coating a dye or pigment solution, or can also be formed by sputtering a metal or metal oxide coating through physical vapor deposition method, wherein the metal is a silver layer and the metal oxide is indium tin oxide.

[0043] The voltage regulating device applies a voltage to the independent control area through the electrode, and the voltage is regulated between the maximum working voltage and the minimum working voltage, so that the light transmittance and haze of the independent control area change with the change of the voltage applied to the corresponding area; the maximum working voltage is greater than the minimum working voltage, the maximum working voltage is any value between 1 volt and 110 volts, and the minimum working voltage is any value between 0 volt and 109 volts.

[0044] Specifically, the voltage regulating device performs voltage control on each independent control area according to the control instruction of the dimming system, and the voltage control method is: after applying the same driving voltage to each independent control area through amplitude modulation control, according to the control instruction, the single voltage controller outputs different working voltages to the electrode parts of each independent control area through phase modulation technology.

[0045] Specifically, the dimming system converts the set dimming mode and color performance parameters into control instructions according to user requirements to realize intelligent control of the dimming film.

[0046] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0047] Through the method of the present invention, precise zoning control of the polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal dimming film is realized, which not only improves the consistency of the dimming effect, but also reduces the complexity and cost of the system. First, the voltage regulating device dynamically calibrates the phase control timing according to the power grid frequency to ensure stable dimming control in different power grid environments. Through the pre-stored trigger angle-time mapping table and clock synchronization calibration mechanism, the system can automatically adapt to the change of the power grid frequency, avoiding the problem of unstable dimming effect caused by power grid fluctuations.

[0048] Secondly, the independent control area adopts random dispersion triggering technology, which effectively disperses the harmonic spectrum energy, reduces electromagnetic interference, and improves the stability and reliability of the system. This technology enables the trigger angles of each area to dynamically and randomly shift within the set range, avoiding the problem of harmonic concentration caused by fixed trigger angles, thereby reducing interference to surrounding electronic devices.

[0049] In addition, the method of the present invention also realizes fine control of the light transmittance and haze of the dimming film by optimizing the trigger angle distribution and the electric field distribution. By simulating and optimizing the electric field distribution through finite element simulation software, the system can find the optimal trigger angle configuration, making the electric field distribution more uniform and improving the performance and efficiency of the dimming film.

[0050] In summary, the present invention provides a zoning control method based on a polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal dimming film. This method has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, and good consistency of dimming effect, etc. It can meet the high requirements of consumers for personalized needs and provides new ideas and methods for the development of dimming film technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] For the convenience of those skilled in the art to understand, the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram of the zoned dimming film in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 2 Schematic structural diagram of the zoned dimming glass in an application example of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 3 Top view of the zoned dimming device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 4 Performance test result diagram of the zoned dimming film of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the first zoned etching line in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the first electrode layer etching line in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the second electrode layer etching line in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 8 Flow schematic diagram of a zoning control method based on a polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal dimming film of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 9 Transmittance and haze curve diagrams at different voltages of the present invention.

[0061] In the figure, 100 - zone dimming film; 200 - zone dimming device; 10 - first conductive layer, 101 - first zone; 102 - second zone; 103 - zone etching line; 30 - polymer - dispersed dye liquid crystal layer; 11 - first transparent substrate layer; 21 - second transparent substrate layer; 20 - second conductive layer; 203 - second conductive layer etching line; 40 - voltage regulating device; 51 - first electrode portion; 52 - second electrode portion; 53 - common electrode portion; 700 - dimming glass; 71 - first glass; 61 - first adhesive layer; 72 - second glass; 62 - second adhesive layer. Detailed implementation manners

[0062] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein: rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more complete and comprehensive, and will fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. In addition, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to give a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will realize that the technical solutions of the present disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or can be implemented using other methods, components, devices, steps, etc. In other cases, well - known methods, devices, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the present disclosure. The blocks shown in the drawings are only functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices. The flowcharts shown in the drawings are only illustrative and do not necessarily include all the contents and operations / steps, nor do they have to be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be decomposed, and some operations / steps can be combined or partially combined, so the actual execution order may change according to the actual situation.

[0063] To further elaborate on the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the predetermined invention purpose, the following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, details the specific implementation manners, structures, features, and their effects according to the present invention as follows.

[0064] Please refer to Figures 1-8 , a method for zone control based on a polymer - dispersed dye liquid crystal dimming film, comprising:

[0065] The voltage of the conductive layer of the dimming device is controlled by a voltage regulating device, wherein the conductive layer is composed of a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer respectively include a plurality of independent control areas, and the independent control areas are all configured with electrode units and are electrically connected to the electrodes of the voltage regulating device;

[0066] The voltage regulating device is based on the phase angle control of the AC power supply, and changes the effective value of the input voltage by adjusting the trigger conduction angle of the electrode unit of the independent control area, thereby achieving fine control of the light transmittance and haze of the dimming film;

[0067] The voltage regulating device monitors the zero crossing of the input alternating current of the independent control area and generates a synchronization signal as a reference timing for phase control; according to the preset partition dimming requirements, an independent trigger delay angle is allocated to the independent control area through the microcontroller.

[0068] Specifically, the electrode unit of the independent control area is connected in series with a bidirectional thyristor, the conduction interval is controlled by a trigger pulse, the phase information of the AC waveform is intercepted, and the root mean square value of the output voltage is adjusted according to the phase information.

[0069] Specifically, the trigger angles of adjacent regions of the independent control region are configured in a differentiated manner to form a smooth voltage gradient in the adjacent independent control regions.

[0070] Specifically, the partition dimming requirement is a preset transmittance and haze target value, and the microcontroller calculates the required trigger delay angle according to a preset algorithm so that the actual transmittance and haze of the dimming film are consistent with the preset target value; the calculation process is:

[0071] The transmittance and haze of the dimming film at different trigger delay angles are experimentally measured to establish a mapping relationship; the mapping relationship is based on the transmittance-voltage response curve and the haze-voltage response curve; a polynomial function is used to fit the transmittance-voltage response curve and the haze-voltage response curve to obtain a response curve equation, and the trigger delay angle is reversely solved by combining the response curve equation with the preset transmittance target value and haze target value.

[0072] In this embodiment, Figure 9 As shown, the transmittance and haze curves under different voltages are fitted by experimental data to obtain Figure 9 The graph in . The graph shows the changes in transmittance and haze of the dimming film under different voltages. By carefully analyzing these curves, we can more accurately understand the relationship between voltage and transmittance and haze, thereby providing data support for more precise dimming control. As can be seen from the figure, the transmittance (TL%) gradually increases with the increase of voltage and tends to saturation when the voltage is high. This relationship can be fitted by an S-shaped curve (such as the Logistic function):

[0073]

[0074] Among them, L max is the maximum light transmittance (saturation value), which can be determined by observing the data. V0 is the voltage value when the light transmittance reaches 50%. k is the steepness of the curve, which can be determined by fitting the data;

[0075] As can be seen from the figure, the haze (H%) gradually decreases with the increase of voltage and tends to be stable at a relatively high voltage. This relationship can be fitted by an exponential decay function:

[0076]

[0077] Among them, H max is the initial haze (haze value when the voltage is 0). V0 is the voltage value at which the haze begins to decrease significantly. k is the decay constant, which can be determined by fitting the data.

[0078] In practical applications, specific target values of light transmittance and haze can be preset according to the needs of users. Then, using the established mapping relationship and response curve equation, the microcontroller can quickly calculate the required trigger delay angle. In this way, the voltage regulating device can accurately adjust the voltage of each independent control area to make the actual light transmittance and haze of the dimming film consistent with the preset target values, so as to achieve personalized dimming effects.

[0079] Specifically, the differential configuration method is as follows:

[0080] S401: Generate a trigger angle transition curve between the target area and the adjacent area in the independent control area through an interpolation algorithm. The calculation formula is:

[0081] α(x) = a(x - x i ) 3 + b(x - x i ) 2 + c(x - x i ) + d(x i ≤ x ≤ x i+1 ),

[0082] Among them, x is the target area position parameter, a, b, c, and d are the boundary condition coefficients determined by the trigger angles of the adjacent areas, α(x) is the trigger angle of the target area, and x i , x i+1 are the adjacent area position parameters;

[0083] S402: Optimize the trigger angle allocation by calculating the electric field distribution through finite element simulation according to the trigger angle transition curve;

[0084] Build a model containing a liquid crystal cell in a finite element simulation software (CST Studio), set up the structures of each layer, material parameters (dielectric constant of the liquid crystal), and boundary conditions, etc.; import the pre-determined trigger angle transition curve data into the simulation model as the basis for subsequent simulation calculations; run the simulation, calculate the electric field distribution in the liquid crystal cell at different trigger angles, and analyze the changes in parameters such as electric field strength and direction in space; based on the calculated electric field distribution, evaluate its impact on the performance of the reflectarray antenna (such as reflection coefficient, phase change, gain, etc.), and find possible problems such as uneven electric field and excessive loss;

[0085] Based on the evaluation results of the electric field distribution, optimize and adjust the trigger angle; for areas with weak electric fields, appropriately increase the trigger angle to enhance the electric field strength; for areas where the electric field is too strong and may cause excessive tilting of liquid crystal molecules, reduce the trigger angle, thereby improving the overall electric field distribution and enhancing performance and efficiency.

[0086] S403: The microcontroller dynamically calibrates the trigger angles of adjacent areas to compensate for the liquid crystal response lag.

[0087] The microcontroller obtains the actual response data (phase change, reflection coefficient, etc. of each area) during operation in real time through a feedback circuit; compares the actually monitored response data with the pre-set ideal response model, extracts the deviation caused by the liquid crystal response lag, and determines the adjacent areas where the trigger angles need to be calibrated. According to the deviation situation, formulate corresponding calibration strategies (for areas with large lags, advance their trigger angles; for areas with too fast responses, delay the trigger angles) to achieve coordination between adjacent areas. The microcontroller dynamically sends the adjusted trigger angle signals to each adjacent area according to the calibration strategy to control the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules and compensate for the liquid crystal response lag.

[0088] Specifically, the voltage regulating device dynamically calibrates the phase control timing according to different power grid frequencies, specifically including:

[0089] S501: Sample the input alternating current through a voltage-frequency conversion chip, output a square wave signal to the phase-locked loop circuit, and generate a reference clock signal synchronized with the power grid frequency;

[0090] S502: For a 50Hz power grid (period 20ms) and a 60Hz power grid (period 16.67ms), pre-store two sets of trigger angle-time mapping tables in the microcontroller, and dynamically switch the timing control parameters through the look-up table method;

[0091] S503: Perform clock synchronization calibration every 10 power grid cycles, compare the built-in real-time clock with the power grid zero-crossing signal, calculate the clock drift and correct the initial value of the timing counter:

[0092]

[0093] Among them, T counter is the count of the timing counter, and T grid is the power grid cycle, and T RTC is the timing cycle of the real-time clock;

[0094] S504: When a sudden change in the power grid frequency is detected, automatically switch to the frequency tracking mode, and the microcontroller scales the trigger angle proportionally:

[0095]

[0096] Among them, α new is the trigger angle after the change in the power grid frequency, and α set is the preset power grid frequency, f nominal is the nominal power grid frequency, f actual is the actual power grid frequency,

[0097] Specifically, the independent control area adopts a random dispersion triggering technique, so that the trigger angles of each area are dynamically and randomly offset within the set range, dispersing the harmonic spectrum energy.

[0098] The partitioned aggregated disperse dye liquid crystal dimming film includes a transparent substrate, a conductive layer, and a polymer dispersed dye liquid crystal layer. The conductive layer and the polymer dispersed dye liquid crystal layer are sandwiched between the transparent substrates; the conductive layer is divided into several independent control areas.

[0099] The polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer includes dichroic dyes; the contrast of the independent control area is greater than 1.3, and the transmittance ratio of visible light between two different independent control areas is between 1 and 20, and the haze ratio is between 1 and 200.

[0100] Specifically, the conductive layer is composed of a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer; the first conductive layer is partitioned, and multiple independent partitions are formed by laser etching. Each partition is connected to a voltage regulating device through an independent electrode part, and the voltage regulating device can independently apply a working voltage to each partition; the second conductive layer includes two types: a single-zone control mode and a multi-zone control mode; if the second conductive layer is in the single-zone control mode, no partitioning treatment is performed, and a common electrode part is provided, and an electrical connection is established between the common electrode part and the voltage regulating device; if the second conductive layer is in the multi-zone control mode, the second conductive layer has the same etching lines as the first conductive layer and divides the same independent control areas, and each independent control area is provided with an independent electrode part.

[0101] Specifically, the polymer dispersed dye liquid crystal layer makes the dimming film have different contrasts by controlling the addition amount of dichroic anthraquinone dyes and the voltage of the independent control area.

[0102] Specifically, the transparent substrate is made of a colored polyester film material, and the film material contains pigments or a colored coating is provided on the film surface. The pigments can be organic or inorganic dyes or pigments, and the colored coating can be formed by coating dyes or pigments, or sputtering a metal or metal oxide coating.

[0103] The voltage regulating device applies a voltage to the independently controlled area through the electrode, and the voltage is regulated between the maximum operating voltage and the minimum operating voltage, so that the light transmittance and haze of the independently controlled area change with the change of the voltage applied to the corresponding area; the maximum operating voltage is greater than the minimum operating voltage, the maximum operating voltage is any value between 1 volt and 110 volts, and the minimum operating voltage is any value between 0 volt and 109 volts.

[0104] Specifically, the voltage regulating device performs voltage control on each independently controlled area according to the control instruction of the dimming system, and the voltage control method is: after applying the same driving voltage to each independently controlled area through amplitude modulation control, according to the control instruction, the single voltage controller outputs different operating voltages to the electrode parts of each independently controlled area through phase modulation technology.

[0105] In this embodiment, the hardware architecture implemented by the multi-area control of the voltage regulating device includes: the voltage regulating device includes a plurality of independent DC-DC modules (buck / boost topology), each module corresponds to a dimming area, the output accuracy is ±0.5%, and it supports the switching between PWM or constant voltage modes; the module is built-in with overcurrent protection (150% rated current for 60 minutes), temperature monitoring and fault self-diagnosis functions, and the abnormal state is fed back to the vehicle-mounted system through the CAN bus; the device uses a 32-bit microcontroller (ARM Cortex-M series) to achieve closed-loop control, the sampling rate is 2kHz, and the output voltage is dynamically adjusted in combination with the PID algorithm to ensure that the switching time of the light transmittance of the dimming film from 0% to 100% ≤ 200ms; each area supports asynchronous dimming, and the bus load overload is avoided through the timestamp synchronization mechanism, and the execution delay of a single-frame instruction ≤ 10μs.

[0106] Specifically, the dimming system converts the set dimming mode and color performance parameters into control instructions according to user needs to achieve intelligent control of the dimming film.

[0107] Taking the vehicle-mounted dimming system as an example, the physical layer implementation of the CAN bus communication architecture between the vehicle-mounted system and the voltage regulation device is as follows: The vehicle-mounted system and the voltage regulation device are connected through the CAN bus of shielded twisted pair or coaxial cable (the rate is 1 Mbps when the transmission distance ≤ 40 meters), and the physical layer protocol defined by the ISO 11898 standard is adopted, and electromagnetic interference is suppressed through differential signal transmission; The system adopts a multi-level control architecture, and the voltage regulation modules corresponding to each dimming area are connected to the bus as independent nodes, and conflict-free communication is achieved through the message ID priority arbitration mechanism between nodes (the priority is determined by the ID value, and the smaller the value, the higher the priority).

[0108] In this embodiment, the dimming system is a vehicle-mounted dimming system. 120Ω terminal resistors are configured at both ends of the vehicle-mounted system bus, and a common-mode filter is integrated to suppress common-mode noise and ensure signal integrity in the complex electromagnetic environment of the vehicle. The user selects the dimming area and the target brightness through a resistive touch screen (driven by the ADS7843 chip). The system uses a two-point calibration algorithm to map the touch coordinates to physical positions and transmits them to the vehicle-mounted controller through the SPI protocol. The interface design is based on the graphical GUI, supports the slider or preset scene modes (such as "privacy mode" and "panoramic mode"), and the dimming parameters are displayed in real time and support multi-level undo operations. After the user input is parsed by the vehicle-mounted controller, combined with the electro-optical characteristics of the dimming film (such as the working voltage range of the PDLC material is 18 - 75V and the response time ≤ 10ms), the target voltage values and the gradient curves of each area are generated. The algorithm uses the piecewise linear interpolation method to map the brightness percentage (0 - 100%) to the voltage value, and introduces the hysteresis comparison strategy to avoid voltage jitter caused by frequent adjustment. The control instructions are transmitted through the CAN data frame, and the standard frame format (11-bit identifier) is adopted. Among them, the high bit of the ID defines the dimming function code, and the data field contains parameters such as the area number, the target voltage, and the gradient time. The data link layer follows the ISO 11898-1 protocol, and the reliability of the instructions is guaranteed through the CRC check, automatic retransmission, and error frame isolation mechanisms.

[0109] As an embodiment of the present invention, as Figures 1-3 shown, the first conductive layer is divided into two independent control areas, including the first partition and the second partition. The independent control areas respectively have independent electrodes, and the independent electrodes are connected to the voltage controller. The voltage controller applies voltages to the first partition and the second partition through the electrodes. The specific partitioned dimming film structure is as Figure 1As shown in the figure, the zoned dimming film (100) is composed of a first transparent substrate layer (11), a first conductive layer (10), a polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal layer (30), a second conductive layer (20), and a second transparent substrate layer (21). The first conductive layer (10) is divided into two independently controllable regions by laser etching lines (103), including a first zone (101) and a second zone (102), and the second conductive layer (20) has a single independently controllable region. The zoned dimming device applies voltages to the first zone and the second zone through electrodes. The zoned dimming device (200) is as shown in Figure 3 the figure. The first zone (101) and the second zone (102) are connected to the first terminal electrode (401) of the voltage regulating device (40) through corresponding independent first electrode portions (51) and second electrode portions (52), and the common electrode portion (53) of the second conductive layer (20) is connected to the second terminal electrode (402) of the voltage regulating device (40). The voltage is regulated between the maximum operating voltage and the minimum operating voltage, so that the light transmittance and haze of the zone change with the change of the first voltage or the second voltage. The maximum operating voltage is an arbitrary value between 1 volt and 110 volts, and the minimum operating voltage is 0 volt. The dye polymer-dispersed liquid crystal dimming film integrates the changes of two properties, light transmittance and haze, so as to achieve similar haze in two different regions and obvious difference in light transmittance; similar light transmittance and obvious difference in haze in two different regions; obvious differences in both light transmittance and haze in two different regions; and gradual change effects of light transmittance and haze in a single or multiple regions.

[0110] The structure of the dimming glass applying the above zoned dimming device (200) is as shown in Figure 2 the figure. The dimming glass (700) is composed of a first glass (71), a first adhesive layer (61), a second glass (72), a second adhesive layer (62), and a zoned dimming device (200).

[0111] As an embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive layer (10) can be divided into 6 independently controllable regions, the second conductive layer (20) is a non-zoned common electrode, each of the 6 zones of the first conductive layer (10) has an independent electrode portion, the second conductive layer has one electrode portion, and the electrode portions are electrically connected to the voltage regulating device. The etching line of the first zone is as shown in Figure 5 the figure.

[0112] As an embodiment of the present invention, the second conductive layer has the same zoned etching lines as the first conductive layer. Each of the 6 zones of the first conductive layer has an independent electrode portion, and each of the 6 zones of the second conductive layer also has an independent electrode portion. The electrode portions are electrically connected to the voltage regulating device. The etching line of the first conductive layer is as shown in Figure 6 the figure, and the etching line of the second conductive layer is as shown in Figure 7 the figure.

[0113] The polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal layer is composed of a liquid crystal composition, an anthraquinone dichroic dye, an active diluent, a prepolymer, a photoinitiator, a light stabilizer, spacer particles, and a chiral agent. In this embodiment, the liquid crystal composition provides a basis for the directional arrangement of liquid crystal molecules. The anthraquinone dichroic dye absorbs or reflects light of a specific wavelength when the liquid crystal molecules are directionally arranged, thereby enhancing the color expressiveness of the light modulating film. The active diluent is used to adjust the viscosity of the liquid crystal composition, and the prepolymer and photoinitiator are used for the curing and shaping of the liquid crystal layer. The light stabilizer can prevent the liquid crystal layer from degrading under light irradiation. The spacer particles are used to control the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, and the addition of the chiral agent endows the liquid crystal layer with a specific helical structure, further enriching the optical properties of the light modulating film. The preparation of the polymer-dispersed dye liquid crystal layer requires dissolving the dichroic dye in the liquid crystal, encapsulating the liquid crystal and the dichroic dye in polymer microcapsules, and then mixing and curing with a polymer monomer.

[0114] The test methods are as follows: Transmittance test for visible light: It is carried out according to the method specified in GB / T5137.2-2002 "Test Methods for Optical Properties of Automotive Safety Glass". Haze measurement: It is carried out according to the method specified in GB / T2410-2008 "Determination of Transmittance and Haze of Transparent Plastics" (Haze refers to the ratio of the scattered light flux deviating from the incident light direction to the transmitted light flux through the specimen, expressed as a percentage. It reflects the degree of light deviation caused by internal or surface scattering of the transparent material. The higher the haze value, the more opaque or blurred the material is). Specifically included:

[0115] Experiment 1: The addition amount of the dichroic anthraquinone dye is 0.1%, and the on-off state contrast of the zoned light modulating film at 60 volts is 1.3;

[0116] Experiment 2: The addition amount of the dichroic anthraquinone dye is 5%, and the on-off state contrast of the zoned light modulating film at 60 volts is 8;

[0117] Experiment 3: The addition amount of the dichroic anthraquinone dye is 15%, and the on-off state contrast of the zoned light modulating film at 60 volts is 20;

[0118] Application Example 1:

[0119] As shown in Figure 3 , the light modulating film obtained in Experiment 1 is subjected to vacuum heating and laminating with a transparent adhesive film and a flat glass to prepare architectural light modulating glass. The laminating method is well-known to those skilled in the art. After the light modulating glass is connected to a voltage regulating device, light modulation control can be carried out.

[0120] Application Example 2:

[0121] As shown in Figure 3As shown, the dimming film obtained in Experiment 2 is subjected to vacuum heating and laminating with a transparent adhesive film and a hyperbolic glass to prepare an automotive sunroof dimming glass. The laminating method is well-known to those skilled in the art. After the dimming glass is connected to a voltage regulating device, dimming control can be performed.

[0122] Application Example 3:

[0123] According to Figure 3 As shown, the dimming film obtained in Experiment 3 is subjected to vacuum high-temperature laminating with a transparent adhesive film and a curved glass to prepare an automotive side window dimming glass. The laminating method is well-known to those skilled in the art. After the dimming glass is connected to a voltage regulating device, dimming control can be performed.

[0124] Performance detection test:

[0125] Respectively take the dimming glasses prepared in Application Examples 1-3 as test objects, and test the haze (H) and visible light transmittance (T) of the first partition and the second partition under different conditions according to the method specified in GB / T 2410-2008, and calculate the ratio (R) of the visible light transmittance of different partitions; record the test results in Figure 4 .

[0126] Term explanation:

[0127] The term "contrast" mentioned in this application document refers to the maximum value of the ratio of the visible light transmittance measured in the on state of the dimming film to the visible light transmittance measured in the off state.

[0128] The term "on state" mentioned in this application document refers to the energized state of the dimming film; the "off state" refers to the non-energized state of the dimming film.

[0129] The term "visible light" mentioned in this application has a wavelength range between 380 nm and 760 nm.

[0130] The drive voltage mentioned in this application refers to the power supply voltage provided by the voltage regulating device.

[0131] The working voltage mentioned in this application refers to the actual voltage applied to the positive and negative electrode parts of the dimming film.

[0132] The ratio of the visible light transmittance of the first partition and the second partition mentioned in this application refers to the ratio of the larger value to the smaller value of the visible light transmittance of the first partition and the visible light transmittance of the second partition.

[0133] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not impose any form of limitation on the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with the preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments by using the technical content disclosed above within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, as long as it does not depart from the content of the technical solution of the present invention, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A partition control method based on a polymer dispersed dye liquid crystal dimming film, characterized in that include: The voltage of the conductive layer of the dimming device is controlled by the voltage regulating device, wherein the conductive layer is composed of a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer includes a plurality of independent control areas, each of the independent control areas is configured with an electrode unit and is electrically connected to the electrode of the voltage regulating device; the second conductive layer is a single control area, and is electrically connected to the electrode of the voltage regulating device through a common electrode portion; The voltage regulating device adjusts the PWM duty cycle and trigger conduction angle of the independent control area electrode unit through the PWM dimming mode and the phase angle control mode; The voltage regulating device preferentially executes the PWM dimming mode, and the voltage regulating device generates a PWM signal through a built-in timer of a microcontroller; the duty cycle is adjusted to control the on-time ratio, and the independent control areas of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are driven to match the target transmittance, so as to maintain color consistency at low brightness; The voltage regulating device is subsequently superimposed with phase angle control. In the phase angle control mode, the voltage regulating device converts the input direct current into alternating current and generates a synchronization signal as a reference timing for phase control; according to the preset partition dimming requirements, an independent trigger delay angle is allocated to the independent control area through the microcontroller; the trigger angles of adjacent areas of the independent control area are configured differently to form a smooth voltage gradient in the adjacent independent control areas, thereby realizing stepless brightness transition; The contrast ratio of the independent control areas of the conductive layer is greater than 1.3, the transmittance ratio of any two different independent control areas to visible light is constrained to be between 1-20, and the haze ratio is between 1-200.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The partition dimming requirement is the preset transmittance and haze target values, and the microcontroller calculates the required trigger delay angle according to the preset algorithm so that the actual transmittance and haze of the dimming film are consistent with the preset target values; The calculation process is: The transmittance and haze of the dimming film at different trigger delay angles are experimentally measured to establish a mapping relationship; the mapping relationship is based on the transmittance-voltage response curve and the haze-voltage response curve; a polynomial function is used to fit the transmittance-voltage response curve and the haze-voltage response curve to obtain a response curve equation, and the trigger delay angle is reversely solved by combining the response curve equation with the preset transmittance target value and haze target value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method for matching the independent control area with the target transmittance is: The microcontroller generates a PWM signal through a built-in timer; the pre-divider and automatic reload register of the timer set the frequency and period of the PWM signal, construct a linear relationship between the duty cycle and transmittance of the PWM signal, output a voltage pulse according to the duty cycle of the PWM signal, drive the independent control area of ​​the conductive layer, and adjust the duty cycle through a comparison register according to the linear relationship so that the average voltage of the conductive layer is linearly matched with the target transmittance.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The differentiated configuration method is: S401: generating a trigger angle transition curve in a target area and an adjacent area of ​​the independent control area by using an interpolation algorithm; S402: Calculating electric field distribution through finite element simulation according to the trigger angle transition curve to optimize the trigger angle distribution; S403: The microcontroller dynamically calibrates the trigger angles of adjacent regions to compensate for the liquid crystal response lag.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The voltage regulating device dynamically calibrates the phase control timing according to different grid frequencies, specifically including: S501: Sample the input alternating current through a voltage-frequency conversion chip, output a square wave signal to the phase-locked loop circuit, and generate a reference clock signal synchronized with the grid frequency; S502: Pre-store two sets of trigger angle-time mapping tables in the microcontroller, and dynamically switch the timing control parameters through the look-up table method; S504: When a grid frequency mutation is detected, automatically switch to the frequency tracking mode, and the microcontroller scales the trigger angle proportionally. The independent control region adopts a random dispersion triggering technique to make the trigger angles of each region dynamically and randomly offset within the set range, dispersing the harmonic spectrum energy.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The second conductive layer can also be set to the same number of control regions as the first conductive layer, and is electrically connected to the electrodes of the voltage regulating device through the independent electrode portions.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, ​

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